Manufacture of printed corrugated wrappers



M. H. SIDEBOTHAM Filed Feb. 27, 1934 H all g I I I I MANUFACTURE OFPRINTED CORRUGATED WRAPPERS Dec. 10, 1935.

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OFPRINTED CORRUGATED WRAPPERS chusetts Application February 27, 1934,Serial No. 713,222-

11 Claims.

The invention relates to the production of paper boxes or wrappers forprotectively containing fragile articles such as electric light bulbs orradio tubes.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the most common practice in efiectingthe production of such wrappers has been to print a sheet or web ofmaterial, pile it sheet form or re-wind it in roll form, let it setseveral hours or days as required, so that the ink would becomethoroughy dry, and then make it up into the articles desired. This, ofcourse, interferes with speed of production.

One of the objects of my invention is to effect rapid production ofpaper boxes or wrappers having corrugated linings, by a sequence ofoperations comprising the feeding of two webs of paper, printing one ofthe webs if desired, c0r-' rugating the other web, adhesively unitingthe two webs, folding the duplex web to tubular condition, and cuttingthe folded duplex web into sections, without necessitating any stoppageof the machine to enable adjustments to be effected to compensate foraccumulative errors.

Another object is to provide a machine which automatically andcontinuously converts two sheets or webs of paper into completed boxesor wrappers having corrugated linings.

Another object is to produce paper boxes or wrappers each comprising asmooth exterior layer having a continuous corrugated lining, one edge ofthe smooth layer being unlined and overlying and adhesively secured tothe lined other edge of said exterior layer.

With said objects in view, and others hereinafter explained, myinvention consists in the method and machine, substantially ashereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the essential parts of the machine forcarrying out my improved method.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of the combined or duplex web at anintermediate portion of the operation.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a flat blank before it is folded.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a fiat blank folded to completed condition.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the wrappers when set up oropened for use.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in allof the views.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the difierent parts or members ofthe machine are mounted on a suitable base indicated by the line l2 inFigure 1.

Mounted in standards I3 at one end of the base II is a roll of paper forsupplying the web a which is drawn uniformly and continuously throughthe machine by the action of rolls of other units of the machine to bedescribed presently, it being understood that such other rolls aredriven at practically uniform continuous peripheral speed. by gearingnot necessary to illustrate.

The next unit comprises means for printing the web a, it beingunderstood however that I do not limit myself thereto, as said unit maybe omitted, or the web a may be guided to pass the printing unit withouthaving ink applied thereto. As illustrated, the web (1 passes betweenrolls I4, l5, supported by standards Hi, the upper roll l4 being of anyknown type to effect printing, usually at predetermined intervals, onthe upper surface of the travelling web a.

When color printing is to be eflected, ink is supplied to the roll M bysuitable ink-distributing rolls. And if the printing is to be effectedby embossing the web, without colors, then an embossing roll is employedinstead of the inkprinting roll 14.

The next unit comprises an oven I! supported by standards I 8, saidoven, when in use, being kept at a suitably high temperature byelectricity or gas flames as may be preferred. Such heating however maybe stopped if no ink-printing is being effected.

The next unit comprises a pair of rolls I9, 20, supported by standards2|, said rolls having cooperating peripheral ribs and grooves to act ona web b of paper drawn from a supply roll mounted in standards 22. Asthe web b passes around the upper corrugating roll l9, the crowns of thecorrugations receive glue or other suitable adhesive material from aroll 23 supported by the standards 2|, the said roll 23 being suppliedwith adhesive in a pot 24. Above the roll I9 is a pressure roll 25, andtherefore the smooth web a and the corrugated web b, issue from betweenthe rolls I9, 25, as a duplex web.

For a reason explained hereinafter, the web a is wider than the web b asbest illustrated in Figure 3.

The next unit comprises a pair of rolls 26, 21, supported by standards28. The lower roll 21 has, at its mid-length, a peripheral knife 29which, as the duplex web is drawn along, cuts the said web at itsmid-width to divide it into two strips each having along one edge aprojecting edge portion of the web a, said projecting edge portion beingindicated at a in Figures 4, and 6.

Each side of the knife 29 the roll 21 also has three peripheral ribs 30which act on the corrugated member or layer of the duplex web to effectcreasing of the corrugations to facilitate the folding of the articles,as presently described, to the condition illustrated by comparingFigures 5 and 6. Such creasing is indicated at b in Figures 3 and 4.

The roll 29 also has, at each end, a disk 3| (Fig. 2) supplied with glueor other suitable adhesive in a trough 32 (Fig. 1). Said disks 3| arenarrow and apply adhesive only to the under surfaces of the twoprojecting margins or edges a of the smooth member or layer of theduplex web.

As the duplex web approaches the unit just described, it is in thecondition shown in the left-hand portion of Figure 3, and as it leavessaid unit, it is cut or divided on the line b, and the corrugated layeris creased on the lines b. Said Figure 3 illustrates a portion of theduplex web as it would appear looking upward in the neighborhood of therolls 26, 21.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the duplex web, divided into twolongitudinal sections, passes to the next unit which comprises twosuitable supported folders 33. The said folders are so mounted andshaped as to bend the two edge sections downwardly on the two creaselines nearest to the cut edge I) (Fig. 4) and the edge having theprojecting flap a, and to then turn them in toward each other with theadhesivecarrying flap overlying the margin where the cut b was effected,as illustrated by comparing Figures 4, 5 and 6. It is to be understoodhowever that Figures 4 and 5 do not illustrate the condition of a web asit leaves the folders, because the cutting, yet to be described, has notbeen effected. In other words, each of the two duplex webs, as itapproaches a folder is a long flat duplex strip both members of whichare in alinement along one edge and the other edge having-the thinflexible flap (1' and as it leaves a folder, it is a long folded strip,the overlapping seam being underneath. Figure 5, although illustrating acompleted wrapper, serves to illustrate the condition of each duplex webas it leaves the folders.

The next unit comprises a pair of pressure rolls 34 supported bystandards 35. The two strips of duplex folded webs pass between saidrolls to effect reliable adhesion of the glue-carrying margins or flapsa. to the surface along the opposite edge, so as to be in condition forthe cutting into such condition as illustrated in Figure 5. Thislast-mentioned condition is effected by the cutting unit comprisingrolls 36, 31, supported by standards 38, one of said rolls having knives39 which simultaneously cut the two duplex folded strips into suchsections as illustrated in Figure 5, and deliver them onto a suitabledelivery apron 40. In practice, means are provided for effecting thecutting into lengths which may vary according to the uses to which thewrappers are to be put. This may be done by employing a knifecarryingroll 36 of greater or lesser circumference.

While I have illustrated and described the roll 21 as having threeperipheral creasing ribs 30 each side of the dividing knife 29, or inother words, a total of six ribs 30, it is to be understood that thenumber of creasing ribs 30 carried by the roll 21 may vary. Forinstance, if the finished article is to be hexagonal, then the roll 21will have five ribs 30 each side of the knife 29, and if the finishedarticle is to be octagonal, then the roll 21 will have seven ribs 30each side of the 5 knife 29.

It will be readily understood, without need of illustration, that anysuitable motor may be employed for operating the machine, and thatsuitable gearing is employed in practice to cause the various rolls torotate at uniform peripheral speed to effect the travel of the websthrough the machine under uniform continuous tension, in order that theoperations of the several units thereof will be effected in the sequencedescribed and without having to effect adjustments to compensate forwhat is known as accumulative errors. This is illustrated by thestraight line of travel of the webs indicated in Figure 1.

I do not claim herein the article produced by the method or machinewhich I have described, as the same forms the subject matter of myapplication Serial No. 26,153, filed June 12, 1935.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in feeding two webs of paper, corrugating one web andprinting the other, adhesively uniting the two webs, folding the duplexweb to tubular condition, maintaining the webs under uniform continuoustension throughout the sequence of operations, and cutting the foldedduplex web into sections.

2. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in feeding two webs of paper, corrugating one web, adhesivelyuniting the two webs, dividing the resulting duplex web intolongitudinal sections, folding said longitudinal sections to tubularcondition, maintaining the webs under uniform con- 40 tinuous tensionthroughout the sequence of operations and transversely cutting the saidlongitudinal folded sections.

3. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in feeding two webs of paper, printing one web andcorrugating the other web, adhesively uniting the two webs, folding theduplex web to tubular condition, maintaining the webs under uniformcontinuous tension throughout the sequence of operations, and cuttingthe folded duplex web into sections.

4. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in causing two paper webs of different widths to travel,corrugating the narrower web and adhesively connecting it with the widerweb to provide a duplex web having thin margins, applying adhesive tosaid thin margins and dividing the duplex web into longitudinalsections, folding each section to fiat condition with itsadhesive-coated margin overlying the other margin, and cutting the twofolded sections into predetermined lengths.

5. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in causing two paper webs of different widths to travel,printing the wider web, corrugating the narrower web and adhesivelyconnecting it with the wider web to provide a duplex web having thinmargins, applying adhesive to said thinmargins and dividing the duplexweb into longitudinal sections, folding each section to flat conditionwith its adhesive-coated margin overlying the other margin, and cuttingthe two folded sections into predetermined lengths.

6. The method of making article containers by a sequence of operations,consisting in causing two paper webs of difl'erent widths to travel,corrugating the narrower web and adhesively connecting it with the widerweb to provide a duplex web having thin margins, longitudinally creasingthe corrugated web and applying adhesive to said thin margins anddividing the duplex web into longitudinal sections, folding each sectionto flat condition with its adhesive-coated margin overlying the othermargin, and cutting the two folded sections into predetermined lengths.

7. A machine for making article containers, comprising means for causingtwo webs of paper to travel, corrugating rolls for operating on one ofthe webs, means for adhesively connecting the corrugated web with theother web to provide a duplex web, cutting and creasing rolls fordividing the duplex web longitudinally and creasing the corrugatedlayer, folders for converting the divided duplex web into fiat tubes,and means for transversely cutting said flat tubes into sections.

8. A machine for making article containers, comprising means for causingtwo webs of paper to travel, printing mechanism for operating on one ofthe webs, corrugating rolls for operating on the other web, means foradhesively connecting the corrugated web with the other web to provide aduplex web, cutting and creasing mils for dividing the duplex weblongitudinally and creasing the corrugated layer, folders for convertingthe divided duplex web into flat tubes, and means for transverselycutting said flat tubes into sections.

9. A machine for making article containers, comprising means for causingtwo webs of paper to travel, printing mechanism for operating on one ofthe webs. a heater past which said web travels from the printingmechanism, corrugating rolls for operating on the other web, means foradhesively connecting the corrugated web I with the other web to providea duplex web, cutting and creasing rolls for dividing the duplex weblongitudinally and creasing the corrugated layer, folders for convertingthe divided duplex web into flat tubes, and means for transversely 10cutting said flat tubes into sections.

10. A machine for making article containers, comprising means forcausing two paper webs of diiferent widths to travel, corrugating rollsfor operating on the narrower web, means for adhel6 sively connectingthe two webs, a pair of rolls between which the two connected webs pass,one of said rolls having ribs for creasing the corrugated web, means forcutting the duplex web into strips. guidesfor converting each strip-into I0 flat folded form, and cutters for transversely severing theflat folded strips.

11. A machine for making article containers. comprising means forcausing two paper webs of diil'erent widths to travel, corrugatingmecha- 85 nism for operating on the narrower web, means for adhesivelyconnecting the corrugated web with the wider web to provide a duplex webhaving margins of single thickness, means for dividing the duplex webinto two webs each having a 80 thin margin, means for applying adhesiveto the thin margin of each of said two webs, folders for converting saidtwo webs into flat tubes with the thin margins overlying the oppositemargins, and means for cutting the two flat tubes into sec- 35 tions.

MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM.

